Noble Actions
by Cogitoergosumsolus
Summary: Aspects of Elissa Cousland's life which shaped the woman she became. Rated M to be safe in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

"Little Miss Muffet" Bryce Cousland looked down upon his youngest daughter as she giggled in anticipation.

"Sat on a tuffet, eating her curds and whey;" Elissa sat facing her father on his knee he began to skitter his hand up her arm and she sucked in her cheeks in her attempts to hold her tongue under her fathers glinting eyes

"Along came a spider," his hand transformed into a rudimentary spider as he incorporated the puppetry into the rhyme, the spider now hanging between them. His daughters eyes shining with the same mischievous glint as her fathers.

"And sat down beside her..." His progeny jumped in excitement as she recognised her cue.

"And she said "Begone hairy legs!"" Elissa bouncing on his knee her hands changed from spiders to come up and tickle the laughing child who was now wriggling in joy as they sat in the corner of the castle study.

They cared little as the door of the study opened revealing Nan as she came to collect the giggling mess.

"I do wish your grace would not fill her head with such unladylike language, or get her quiet so excited before she is to be put to bed." Nan always had a slightly abbrasive candor. No matter who in the family she was talking to and the Teryn took her warning in good humour.

"My dear woman, if it was an easy job we would be able to get anyone to do it, but instead we need someone of your moral fiber." He smirked again at his daughter as he lifted her cuddling her quickly before placing her in the waiting arms of the her nanny. Who did nothing more than snort in response to her employers retort.

"Time for bed young mistress. Bid his Grace good night."

"Good night father." She suppressed another laugh as her father's hand once again transformed into the spider.

"Good night pup, sweet dreams." he kissed his daughters forehead before she was taken from the study by her minder.

Elissa was seen as a child of good temperament, by those in the castle. As much as Nan chided the child, she, like the rest of the family was always a polite and dutiful, rarely misbehaving. At least not intentionally.

To Nan's eternal exasperation her natural curiosity meant that while she could not be described as naughty she had a certain knack for finding and doing things that while off limits had no express rules forbidding them. Fergus had never been this much trouble, as soon as the boy had been given his first sword he could always be found with the knights bothering them for extra lessons and pointers. Elissa would go missing for hours on end only to be found by one of the servants sleeping in a box behind three locked doors with no clear passage in. At but 4 years of age she was brought home by one of the knights who had found her wandering the town square intently watching the locals in the market after she had made her way into a wagon heading there from the castle simply to see where it went.

Nan had suggested leashing the child to prevent such misadventures and while her mother seemed for a second to give it serious thought her father had laughed harder than he had in a long time.

"Leash her? You may as well leash a Mabari pup! Besides a pup will never stray far from its mother, she always finds her way back." He continued to laugh quietly about the suggestion for a few days and took to calling his young daughter Pup.

"Husband you have your son, why must you insist upon turning our daughter into another?" Eleanor tutted, scooping up the girl who had again been returned to them, covered in mud after discovering the joy of wallowing in the pig pen on a fresh spring day.

Fergus was grinning as his mother rebuked his younger sister who simply smiled up at her mother unfazed by the commotion she had again caused.

"Of course she would never say so but this has your handiwork all over it young master Fergus" Fergus blushed a little as his father watched his face.

"Father whatever do you mean?" Fergus was four years older than his sister and although he would never do anything to harm his younger sibling he had a way of telling her facts which to her became ideas. Today's was that pigs covered themselves in mud to combat the heat. To the young Elissa it was a concept that was so ludicrous it had to be tested.

"I'm sure you do not. I think that you too can make your way upstairs. A bath would not go astray." Fergus simply smiled at his father before following his mother and sister out of the dining room. This was going to eat into his training time was all he could think to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Denerim was a world away from Highever as far as the young Couslands were concerned at least. They made the trip to the Fereldan capital once, and occasionally twice a year accompanying their parents to the Landsmeet. The whole affair was nothing but pomp and ceremony which they were unaccustomed to in their own home. Where things were far more simple. The Cousland's were in charge and everyone listened. The Landsmeet complicated things, and while their parents easily fell into the politics and intrigues of the meet the children were still learning.

Fergus had the same easy candor as his father, able to easily regail the Banns and Arls of the meet as easily as he did the soldiers he trained with daily. Although like his father this sometimes gained the ire of some of those who believed that such behaviour was benefiting one of his stature. Eleanor was much more measured in her responses, she knew played the games of court far better than her husband, but had no less contempt for them. Elissa enjoyed watching her mothers deft and clever diffusing of situations, but found her fathers creation of them far more amusing.

Denerim also meant having to play with the other noble children. When they were small Elissa loved nothing more than to follow her older brother about as the children fought their imaginary dragons, rescued their damsels and crowned their kings. She would sit enthralled by the scenarios Cailan would spin for the group, always epic tales far better than those of the books she read. But usually ending the same way; Cailan became king after rescuing the beautiful Anora from a horrible calamity, Fergus was proclaimed the most brave and noble knight in all the lands, and Elissa was married to whichever noble child that was present and had played well with the others, as was decreed by King Cailan. Various other children would come and go, all playing their parts but the main characters stayed the same. Sometimes Elissa was forgotten in the excitement of it all but never cared. she learnt far more watching.

The years passed and Elissa watched as the games took on a different bent. She was one of the younger children, her brother Fergus four years her senior Cailan another 2 years senior, and Anora a month older than him. Much was made of this for reasons which escaped her at the time. Elissa observed with curiosity how the games were no longer focused on the dragons and darkspawn, but rather evil Arls and Banns, children were declared traitors and sent to imaginary prisons, while some of the parents stood on the sidelines coaching their children subtly, trying and win them favor with Cailan, eying Elissa with suspicion if she tried to listen in. At first such behaviour simply confused her but by her 10th year a burgeoning understanding of larger scheme of things had begun, her confusion changed to amusement, and then disturbance as she realised that some of the same parents were coaching their sons and daughters before they approached her.

"Fergus!" She had been trying for minutes to get her brothers attention from the pretty noble's daughter he had been flirting with to for the past hour. Finally she had resorted to gritting out his name between her teeth trying her best not to yell at her unresponsive brother. Fergus was almost in his 15th year and was clearly enjoying watching the young woman laugh at his less than witty repartee.

Elissa finally tugged on the arm of his shirt drawing an evil glance from the object of his attention until of course she realised who she was glaring at. Instantly her smile broadened and she exclaimed in honeyed tones. "Oh is this your dear little sister? Look at her!" The red headed teen lowered herself to meet Elissa's gaze, her curled hair carefully tied in the fashion of the time. "She will soon become very beautiful won't she Fergus, oh I'll have to watch for her in court!" She giggled at her joke while fergus sensed his opening.

"But my dear lady your beauty will be without compare for years to come." His careful dulcet tones eliciting the correct squeal of delight in the girl as she hugged herself to his arm. Elissa let out a sigh realising that the smug look of satisfaction on her brothers face meant that there would be no rousing him now. She began to wonder where her parents were, no one here wanted to fight dragons anymore and she pondered if she would have to come next year, the thoughts were cut short by strong arms at her waist before she knew it she had been hoisted over the shoulders of Prince Cailan.

"But who would needs beauty when a listening ear and an inquisitive mind would serve you much better?" It was a whisper in her ear a private joke at the expense of the poor noble girl who on her first journey to the Landsmeet knew nothing of her brothers reputation. The blonde teen smiled at her as she giggled on his shoulders. "My lady seemed in need of a rescue!" His proclamation was largely ignored by all but Anora who was now on her way over to the two "Are you alright? Unhurt? No Dragons? Darkspawn? I would never forgive a knave who dared cross you my dear sweet Lady Cousland!" He had taken her from his shoulders and was now cradling her examining her for the injuries he spoke of, his voice dripping with melodrama. He lowered his face to hers raising his eyebrow mischievously "Would a kiss from a Prince make it all better?" Elissa was now screaming in laughter as she squirmed in his arms.

"No! No by the maker! Anything but that!"

"You wound me dear Lady I don't know if I shall ever recover from such cruelty!" The drama continued as he swooned beneath her carefully holding her up as he crumpled to the floor. Elissa moved next to the young regent resting an elbow on his chest as she evaluated him, he was quickly becoming a man, only seeing him annually as she did the changes were drastic, his shoulders becoming broad, his body long and but with the beginnings of a muscular build, stubble growing haphazardly in places upon his chin she was still surveying him contentedly as he peeked through one eye quickly to check what she was doing.

"I need to be awoken by a kiss." He whispered the hint through the side of his mouth to her before puckering his lips his eyes tightly shut. Elissa giggled again at the scene before her.

"I am too old for such games now dear Cailan." She straightened her back trying her best to channel her mother but still leant on his chest. "Such behaviour would be unseemly for a lady." She closed her eyes and raised her chin as Cailan popped one eye open.

"Oh, so you're a lady now are you? But you are but in your 8th year are you not? And is kissing princes not permissible to ladies? Anora I thought that ladies all kissed princes. Does this mean you are not a lady? The maker is indeed cruel to me..." The faux confusion on Cailan's face was missed by Elissa who was still trying her best to be a lady.

"No ladies love to kiss princes. However if this prince continues to serenade other ladies before me I do believe I will stop kissing him." Anora's tone was icy but her eyes shone with the same mischief of her beau.

Elissa looked upon him incredulously as he propped himself up on his elbows before her. "You know very well that this is my 10th year Cailan." the haughty tone continued to escalate and Cailan was now stifling a laugh at the young girl above him. "And such games are the things of children not ladies." Cailan's eyes became dark, glinting as he watched her face.

"What?"

"Nothing" He turned his head from her trying his best to look innocent.

No, what? What are you thinking?"

"Nothing at all." his eyebrow arched as she drew closer trying to get the answer out of him. "I was simply thinking that I have never before seen such a bewitching Lady and I simply must ravage you in a princely way. It is only appropriate given the situation." He was upon her in a second laying small kisses across her face as she screamed in laughter.

"Oh my lady I had no idea it could be like this!" he continued his assault her face now bright red as she gasped for breath.

"Cailan you're making a scene." The tone was exasperated and dry Anora now standing above them both. Cailan looked up to the young Anora still holding Elissa's face in his hands a large smile upon his face. "and the recess has ended we must return to the Landsmeet." Her arms were crossed and her face serious but the amusement in her eyes remained.

He let out a long drawn out sigh, "Torn between two beauties what is a prince to do?" He bent down to lay another chaste kiss on Elissa's forehead. "Duty calls my dear." he paused evaluating her still smiling face but for a second, "Do not wish to grow up so fast, it comes quickly enough." His expression was far more melancholy than Elissa was accustomed to seeing in his features and she watched as he wrapped an arm about Anora's waist calling Fergus back into the Landsmeet with them. The door closed on the hall and the young Lady Cousland looked about the other nobles in the room, while they watched and whispered about her. A creeping feeling of foreboding pitted in her stomach as the parents whispered in their children's ears before pushing them in her direction. Perhaps she would see what fun could be found in the stables she decided.


End file.
